A truly healthy version of a great Asian Classic: Sweet and Sour Chicken. Once you've tried this one, you'll probably never opt for take-out ever again!

It’s kinda weird how my body has had insatiable cravings for Asian and Lebanese foods these past few months… I feel they’re pretty much all I’ve been eating lately.

When the craving for Shish Taouk or Shawarma strikes, I tend to simply hit my local Lebanese restaurant. The thing is, I do not yet own one of them autodoners, you see… Plus frankly, as much as I love my Lebanese food, I can’t really picture myself cooking 85 pounds of meat at a time!

Then I’d have to rename this place into something like “BunchOfLeftoverShishTaoukRecipes.com” 

Besides, I find that Lebanese food is probably just as healthy at the restaurant as it would be if I were to make it at home. Or very close, anyway…

A truly healthy version of a great Asian Classic: Sweet and Sour Chicken. Once you've tried this one, you'll probably never opt for take-out ever again!

I’m afraid the same can’t be said for Asian food, though. Most Asian restaurants out there add all kinds of ingredients and special seasonings that I don’t much care for to their dishes. Plus, they tend to make a very enthusiastic use of their deep fryer…

So, when the craving for Asian food strikes, I much prefer to make my own at home. This Sweet and Sour Chicken is the first of two Asian dishes that I created this week. That’s right, I made 2, back to back. But, I’m afraid you,re gonna have to wait for the second one, though. Unfortunately, I can only serve one dish at a time here…

Both turned out absolutely amazing and totally satisfied my cravings… for now!

A truly healthy version of a great Asian Classic: Sweet and Sour Chicken. Once you've tried this one, you'll probably never opt for take-out ever again!

I know I must sound like a broken record, but when making Asian food, it’s especially important that you have all your ingredients ready before you even get your pan or wok near the stove. Oh, and if you’re planning on serving rice (or noodles) with your dish, it’s always a good idea to get that out of the way before you do anything else.

Next, make your sauce by whisking all the ingredients, except for the tapioca starch, in a large glass measuring cup. Then, chop your veggies, fruits and meat!

A truly healthy version of a great Asian Classic: Sweet and Sour Chicken. Once you've tried this one, you'll probably never opt for take-out ever again!

Once all your ingredients (and side dishes) are good and ready to go, heat some olive oil (or other healthy cooking fat of your choice) in a large wok or skillet set over high heat.

When the pan is nice and scorching hot, add the pieces of chicken all at once and sprinkle them generously with salt.

A truly healthy version of a great Asian Classic: Sweet and Sour Chicken. Once you've tried this one, you'll probably never opt for take-out ever again!

Let the meat cook until it gets nice and golden all around, which should take about 10 to 12 minutes.

A truly healthy version of a great Asian Classic: Sweet and Sour Chicken. Once you've tried this one, you'll probably never opt for take-out ever again!

Once the chicken is fully cooked, add the bell peppers and onions.

A truly healthy version of a great Asian Classic: Sweet and Sour Chicken. Once you've tried this one, you'll probably never opt for take-out ever again!

Continue cooking for about 1 minute, until the veggies are just slightly softened and fragrant…

A truly healthy version of a great Asian Classic: Sweet and Sour Chicken. Once you've tried this one, you'll probably never opt for take-out ever again!

Throw in the drained pineapple chunks and mix well.

A truly healthy version of a great Asian Classic: Sweet and Sour Chicken. Once you've tried this one, you'll probably never opt for take-out ever again!

Whisk the tapioca starch in the sauce and then pour the whole thing into the skillet.

Bring the sauce to a full boil, stirring continuously until it’s nicely thickened.

A truly healthy version of a great Asian Classic: Sweet and Sour Chicken. Once you've tried this one, you'll probably never opt for take-out ever again!

Remove from heat and serve your Sweet and Sour Chicken with a side of steamed rice, garnished with a pinch of finely chopped green onions, if desired.

A truly healthy version of a great Asian Classic: Sweet and Sour Chicken. Once you've tried this one, you'll probably never opt for take-out ever again!

As you can see, this dish comes with a very generous amount of sauce… as such, it would also be excellent served over a bed of cooked rice vermicelli or egg noodles.

And if you want to kick things up a notch, throw in a generous handful of dry roasted cashews. I’m thinking I totally should’ve done that myself!

HA! There’s always next time…

A truly healthy version of a great Asian Classic: Sweet and Sour Chicken. Once you've tried this one, you'll probably never opt for take-out ever again!

A truly healthy version of a great Asian Classec: Sweet and Sour Chicken. Once you've tried this one, you'll probably never opt for take-out ever again!
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5 from 3 votes

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
A truly healthy version of a great Asian Classic: Sweet and Sour Chicken. Once you've tried this one, you'll probably never opt for take-out ever again!
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 2-3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts , patted dry and cut into bite size chunks (about 550g | 19.4oz total)
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into large chunks
  • 1 small onion, cut into large chunks
  • 1 - 14oz can pineapple chunks, drained (save the juice)
  • Generous sprinkle of salt

For the sauce

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Instructions

  • In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce, except for the tapioca starch.
  • Heat the olive oil (or other healthy cooking fat of your choice) in a large wok or skillet set over high heat. When the pan is nice and hot, add the pieces of chicken, sprinkle them generously with salt and let the meat cook until it gets nice and golden all around, about 10 to 12 minutes.
  • Once the chicken is fully cooked, add the bell peppers and onions and continue cooking for about 1 minute, until the veggies are just slightly softened and fragrant; throw in the drained pineapple chunks and mix well.
  • Whisk the tapioca starch in the sauce and then pour it into the skillet. Bring to a full boil, stirring continuously until the sauce is thickened, then remove from heat and serve with a side of steamed rice, garnished with a pinch of finely chopped green onions, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 446kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 89mg, Sodium: 1021mg, Potassium: 808mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 37g, Vitamin A: 146IU, Vitamin C: 29mg, Calcium: 33mg, Iron: 1mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian
Author: Sonia! The Healthy Foodie

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